Nitrox - Is it "worth it"?

[BRT]

True... but whether or not that results in any real benefit, we'll just never know. If you use nitrox on a dive and do not experience any DCS symptoms, you'll never know if you could have instead used air... and still experienced no DCS symptoms. Similarly, if you use air and you DO experience DCS symptoms, it's impossible to know if the symptoms would not have happened if you used nitrox instead.

So while the odds are in the favor of nitrox, whether or not it provides any real benefit on any particular dive is something we just can't know.

You might ask Wookie what his experience was on his dive boat. I believe that once he started pumping nitrox for everyone he never had another DCS case.

 

[EFX]

I think its worth getting nitrox certified. Even if you don't appreciate its benefits under certain dive scenarios there is a practical benefit. A dive op in Jupiter, FL. will not let you do three drift dives unless you dive nitrox. The average depth to the reef is 80 ft. If you insist on diving air you will not be able to do the third dive. So, nitrox gives you options you would normally not have.

 

[yle]

You might ask Wookie what his experience was on his dive boat. I believe that once he started pumping nitrox for everyone he never had another DCS case.

Oh, no doubt that for a large sample size, i.e. many hundreds of divers over a long time period, you would see some statistics that would support the benefit of nitrox. And this is exactly my point: of course there is a statistical benefit to nitrox, as large sample sizes demonstrate.

And this complements my point that for any individual, it is impossible to tell whether or not nitrox is truly beneficial for one specific dive. After using nitrox for a particular dive, there is no way to measure whether or not air would have also been okay for that particular dive. And there's no way to guarantee that for any particular planned dive that using air would result in DCS while using nitrox would not.

Long term statistics for a large sample size are a different issue.

 

[BlueTrin]

Oh, no doubt that for a large sample size, i.e. many hundreds of divers over a long time period, you would see some statistics that would support the benefit of nitrox. And this is exactly my point: of course there is a statistical benefit to nitrox, as large sample sizes demonstrate.

And this complements my point that for any individual, it is impossible to tell whether or not nitrox is truly beneficial for one specific dive. After using nitrox for a particular dive, there is no way to measure whether or not air would have also been okay for that particular dive. And there's no way to guarantee that for any particular planned dive that using air would result in DCS while using nitrox would not.

Long term statistics for a large sample size are a different issue.

I am not sure I understand.

If there is no downside and statistically significant benefits, shouldn’t you just do it if price is acceptable ?

 

[BRT]

I am not sure I understand.

If there is no downside and statistically significant benefits, shouldn’t you just do it if price is acceptable ?

This is my feeling. No doubt I can do the dive on air and not notice a problem. Probably I could blow off 5 minutes of decompression and not notice a problem. But maybe I come up with 5 minutes of NDL left and still get DCS. Why not just use the nitrox and not push the limits so close. I do all my dives on in our area on nitrox. Costs me less than $2/tank to pump nitrox instead of air. On vacation there is an actual cost to nitrox but in the big picture it is a minor cost increase.

 

[Norrm]

If there is no downside and statistically significant benefits, shouldn’t you just do it if price is acceptable ?

There's a downside of using Nitrox. In fact there are 2. Limited depth and 02 buildup over repetitive dives which can limit further diving even if well within NDL limits.

 

[NAM001]

Top the OP....... Get a program that will allow you to enter your dives and show you the results including things like OTU's and CNS% along with how much remaining NDL time available on repeated dives. If you are only doing a single dive then it probably is not worth it. but if you are going to do say 2 dives a day with or more with 1 hour SI's it can make a big difference. what good is spending good money on a multi tank dive when the repeated dive will only allow 10 minutes bottom time on air ,,,,and that becoming back on board with 2000 psi in the tank. Get nitrox certed......... now the option is yours as whether to use it. I think on line it is about 125 dollars. or 200 at your LDS. At your LDS it should take about 2 hours. 1.5 hours of it is DVD and testing related. When you use it gage you mix accordingly. 32 is the most popular used and 36 can be fantastic use with say 3-4 dives. Nitrox provides either longer dives or shorter SI's or you can split the benefits to get some but not all of both. you can fun the dives using a dive table. square or multilevel makes no difference and long as you do apples to apples you will see the benefit.

 

[NAM001]

Who is your buddy going to be and is he/she going to be using nitrox? Because if I'm on a dive vacation and get insta-buddied with someone diving air while I'm on nitrox, then there's going to be an issue.

Not directed at you but in regards to the comment. If the buddy is on air and you are on nitrox then you get to reduce the residual nitrogen in your system and lower the chances of unexpected nitrogen consequences. At end of SI you come out in a group or more better than on air. HItting the surface a group or so better also allows if needed to safely skip the safety stop or better position if you loose depth control and are sucked to the surface unexpectently. nitrox is an insurance policy in many cases depending HOW YOU USE THE BENEFITS.

 

[TMHeimer]

If you end up being limited by your NDL and not your gas, and wish you had more time diving, I would consider nitrox certification. This takes into consideration your profiles, repetitive dives, and surface intervals

I've been away a while but second the motion that this should be pinned up somewhere. Most of my shallow shore dives don't come anywhere near the NDL (more appropriately Non Stop) limits, and I'm limited by tired, cold or bored. I do 2 dives on one AL80 tank. But, I have used Nitrox on other "more complicated" dives.
Nitrox fills cost usually more than double for Air fills. I know that may matter little if you're spending a fortune on a tropical dive vacation, but it is a factor for me. How much more bottom time for the buck over a week probably makes it worth it.
No need to read all about whether Nitrox makes you "feel better" or not. Really, that hasn't been discussed and disagreed on enough? I never noticed any difference, long as I have my can of coke between boat dives.

 

[CaveSloth]

With Nitrox you have a more limited maximum depth (99ft with 35%) than air, but for whatever depth you are above that, you have a lower risk of getting the bends aka decompression sickness because Nitrox contains less nitrogen than air. This translates into longer no-decompression-limits at a given depth. The only thing you need to really be aware of that is different from air is your maximum depth. On air you can go to 187 ft depth. On Nitrox, generally you will want to stay less than 100 ft depth. Take a class so you can perform an accurate calculation of maximum depth for the mix you get filled with after you verify the % O2 by measuring yourself with an analyzer. To get the most benefit, all divers in a team should have the same gas, same volume and be wearing the same dive computers set to the same settings.